Shawn Ashmore on job security uncertainty on 'The Following'
NEW YORK - The cast of Fox's TV series "The Following," knows that it's not the kind of gig that provides job security.
The thriller about FBI agents tracking serial killers has a high body count.
Actor Shawn Ashmore is one of the lucky ones. His character, Mike Weston, is still around from the beginning of the series.
"We looked at the group cast photo from season one and there's not that many people left, honestly," said the actor in a recent phone interview. "Everybody is pretty much dead. It's just the kind of show that we make and we knew that from the get go."
Season three of "The Following" returns Monday at 9 p.m. EDT with an eight-month time jump.
James Purefoy's psychotic murdering cult leader, Joe Carroll, is now on death row while Kevin Bacon's Ryan Hardy, who spent years obsessed with catching Carroll, is moving forward with his life and actually happy.
Weston, however, is obsessed with revenge (against the man who killed his father in season two).
Ashmore says at the start of the series, Weston was "like a shiny penny" and his evolution since "is so interesting for me as an actor."
"From a storytelling perspective, it shows us what Ryan went through before we meet him at the start of the show. With Mike Weston we actually see the process that Ryan went through. These characters are mirroring each other and in season three asking the question, 'Will Mike follow Ryan' (and become consumed by revenge). You're seeing two different men experience the same things and see how they react."
There are changes behind the scenes as well. "The Following" has three new showrunners, Brett Mahoney, Alexi Hawley and Marcos Siega. Ashmore says it's been "a seamless" transition because Mahoney and Hawley were writers on season two while Siega has been with the show as an executive producer and director.
He says the change is fitting because "it's definitely a different show this season."
"You get a fresh set of eyes bringing different aspects in terms of storytelling. Season two we knew who we were chasing, whereas season three it's more of a mystery and a reset."
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Online:
http://www.fox.com/the-following/
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